Blog categories

In the current economic climate, businesses must look at new ways to win customers. As such, many firms are now looking at strategic alliances which allow them to access new segments of the market.

If properly executed, a strategic alliance can be good for business and good for the consumer. A strategic alliance is similar to a joint venture, in that everyone remains an individual entity but comes together for a single purpose or period of time to create something that could not otherwise be created.

There has been a positive start to 2014 so far when it comes to exports. A recent report from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply revealed that the rate of increase in new export business in January came close to a three year record.

As we head towards Budget 2014, which will take place on Wednesday 19 March, there is no denying the UK economy is in a better place than it was this time last year. GDP growth of 2.4 per cent is predicted for this year and things are looking up, but does this mean that George Osborne will be providing dramatic tax cuts and reforms? Probably not…

Submitting your self-assessment tax-return doesn't have to be hard – especially in the digital age. With the 31 January 2015 deadline just 6 weeks away, we thought we'd put together a fool-proof guide to submitting your online tax return, just in time for Christmas.

"How do I grow my business?"
It can be a difficult question to answer. If you don't know what kind of growth you're aiming for, it seems like a vague concept. Do you want to increase your profits? Open a new office or store? Hire more employees?

One of the most important tasks in creating a high-performance culture in your business is taking the time to understand your team and their needs. When employees’ needs are met, and they feel aligned with the strategy, vision and values of the firm, they tend to respond with higher levels of engagement and commitment, and are willing to go the extra mile to support the development of the business.

As agile working becomes more common, technology has had to adapt to ensure that employees can be productive, regardless of where they are physically located. Many potential new recruits expect some degree of agile working and the leading businesses have already started to adapt in order to appeal to the best candidates. Many firms have been rolling out smart devices, cloud based storage and cloud based printing in order to allow their people to work from anywhere.

Business networking seems easy and tends to come naturally to extroverts. But what if you are an introvert? What do you do if attending a networking event is your worst nightmare? The good news is you can still master the art of networking.